A Changeling Child
by Sacredheart
Summary: Sarah Williams has found the most unlikely love in teaching. It's been five years since she last saw Jareth, and is happy to let it remain so. That is, util she takes on a transfer student from England...


Hello, readers!!! I know, I know. I should be working on A Midwinter's Night Dream, but as you can probably tell from the near four month hiatus on chapters- I've hit a mental roadblock- and it's a doozie. I've never had writer's block this bad on a story before! But hopefully this new one should get my muse to working again. Be amazed, be terrified, be stupefied- I don't care. Just enjoy the first chapter of-

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The Changeling Child

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Sarah dropped her pen onto the pile of papers she was grading and leaned back into the chair. Running a hand through her hair she glanced at the clock, blinking her tired eyes. A few minutes to noon- her third graders would be back from recess soon. With a grunt she stood and weaved through the rows of desks to the large armoire at the back wall. She took a breath and jerked open the double doors and stared at the bulging contents of the wardrobe. Pushing through the gobs of clothing and costumes she unearthed the garment she needed, and stared down at the soft fabric in her hands for a moment.

Twice every year Sarah took her story time to a new level, complete with costumes in an attempt to get the children to connect with the story as much as possible. Right before Christmas vacation she had read _The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe,_ which had been a roaring success with the children. They loved being able to dress up as winter sprites, unicorns, the lion Aslan, and anything else fantastic they could create from the contents of the giant box of costumes Sarah had amassed over the years. Some of the costumes she had loved as a child was in there too, and it warmed her heart to see her students enjoying them as much as she had. In her younger years Sarah had no idea how responsive children of this age were to a little bit of creative make believe.

With a sigh she gathered up the plastic covered clothing and went down the hall to the staff bathroom. Sarah, now twenty-six had been teaching third grade at the same elementary school she had attended for two years now, and she loved every minute of it. When she was seventeen, she vowed she would become a teacher after the years of hell she suffered at school from the taunting of other students. Sarah paused in her thoughts as the memory a crowd of taunting, laughing children surfaced in her mind, with one lone figure In the middle of them- the figure was her. It was the last day of third grade year, she had hoped they would leave her alone- but they didn't. She clutched her books to her chest and cried until they ripped them from her and threw the into a puddle, then turned on her. The boys rubbed mud into her hair, calling her a 'freak' and 'stupid' only because she preferred to be by herself. Because she dared to be different. She hated them all that day for it.

It wasn't until her …nightmare… in the labyrinth that she discovered her love for children through Toby. Third grade drew her for various reasons- one being she felt she could relate to them very well, and they seemed to respond to her style of teaching. But this which she planned to do- it sent shivers down her spine. The story of the labyrinth was true, dangerously so. But she always felt so drawn to sharing the adventure that sometimes it was on the tip of her tongue. For those two years it had laid dormant within her, she nearly forgot about it sometimes.

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Why am I doing this now? She wondered as she twined ribbons into her hair after she changed into the dress. _Maybe he isn't really gone…maybe he's waiting. Jareth…do you still even remember me? Or am I just another girl now? _Sarah stopped, her hands stilling in her hair. Why had she thought that? Did she really _want_ to see him again? She fiercely yanked the ribbon tight. She would enjoy this day, and she would make sure her students would, too. Looking up she stared into the mirror, the loneliness she really felt apparent in her eyes. This was banished quickly as a thought struck her. She placed both hands firmly on the counter and stared hard into the mirror.

"I know you're still out there, Jareth.", she whispered, her turning to dark slits._ "_I feel you, and I know you can hear me. But if you even touch a hair on one of these children's heads you will pay."

Sarah spun on her heel and left the room, leaving only the scent of flowers. It was still in the room for a moment, then a flicker. The slightest outline of a face, a tawny mane and multicolored eyes appeared in the mirror for just a moment. It seemed like he laughing, eyes aglow with triumph before he faded away…

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I hope the first chapter did not bore you too much, dear reader. And if you please…. Review, Review! That really fuels my creative fire to keep writing when I know my story is being read and (hopefully) loved…

Blessed Be,

(until the next chapter)

Sacredheart


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